Wet suit valet assembly

ABSTRACT

A wet suit valet having a fixed or collapsible base member and a fixed or collapsible vertical post member extending upwardly from the base member, the vertical post member when extended having a plurality of apertures for the receipt of a plurality of outwardly extending arms oriented to support the elements of a surfer or diver&#39;s wet suit in an expanded orientation to expedite the drying thereof. The vertical post and arm can be of tubular form with perforations in the tubular walls to all for hot air to be introduced into the structure to circulate about and within the wet suit.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

Applicant claims the benefit of provisional application 60/654,780,filed Feb. 22, 2005.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The present invention relates to a wet suit valet assembly for dryingout a diver's or surfer's wet suit after use.

2. Description of the Prior Art

Wet suits are typically used by scuba divers and surfers in the pursuitof their activities. The wet suits are normally fabricated from neopreneor other suitable rubber-like material and are designed to form fit tothe upper torso and arms and the legs of the individual to maintain bodytemperature when surfing or scuba diving in waters of lower temperature.Additional wet suit pieces can include a balaklava for the head, glovesfor the hands, and socks for the feet, all fabricated from the same typeof material, i.e. neoprene or other suitable rubber-like material. Thewet suit preserves the body heat for the individual allowing them toenjoy their past time for a greater period of time. In fact, in thedesign of wet suits, it is preferable that a small film of water beallowed to penetrate the wet suits and to form a film layer between thesurfer or diver's body and the inner surface of the wet suit. This thinfilm layer further enhances the ability of the wet suit to maintain thewarmth of the anatomy and prevent the loss of body heat.

When the surfer or diver has finished his pursuit, the wet suit istypically removed and the neoprene or rubber-like material is thoroughlywet. It is then necessary to dry the wet suit before it is againutilized. Still further, the dampness of the wet suit through use, canalso lead to the development of an odor associated therewith, caused bymold or bacteria. The sooner the diver or surfer's wet suit is driedafter use, and the more thoroughly it is dried, prevents the developmentof a moldy-like odor and also lengthens the life expectancy of the wetsuit by preventing premature rotting.

In the past, wet suits were laid in the bath tub to dry or spread out ona flat surface to dry and in some instances, attempts were made to hangthem from a clothes line. None of these drying methods are trulyeffective in that they normally require an extended period of time toeffect the drying. The reason it takes so long for a wetsuit to dry isbecause the individual sections will close up when removed from thebody.

Still further, when a diver or surfer utilizes his wet suit at alocation proximate the surfer or diver's home, the surfer or diver canutilize the aforesaid drying methods, despite their ineffectiveness.However, most divers and surfers vacation in order to pursue their pasttime, and living in a hotel or motel room for a week or two duringvacation further aggravates the ability to completely dry the wet suitbetween uses.

Applicant has developed a wet suit valet in the form of a tree standwhich is collapsible so that it can be stored when not required, yetsturdy enough to be erected and support the various elements of the wetsuit in an appropriate orientation to enhance drying. Still further,Applicant's wet suit valet in a collapsed mode allows it to betransported by the diver or surfer on vacation so that it can beutilized in the motel room or hotel room bathroom to be erected andsupport the various elements of the wet suit.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION

An object of the invention is to provide for a novel wet suit valet fordrying wet suits utilized by surfers and divers.

Another object of the present invention is to provide for a novel wetsuit valet which is collapsible.

Another object of the present invention is to provide for a novel wetsuit valet which when erected resembles a tree stand having variousinterconnected branches for the support of the various elements whichcomprise the wet suit.

A still further object of the present invention is to provide for anovel wet suit valet which can be connected to a source of hotmoistureless air which can circulate within the wet suit valet andventilate from the wet suit valet to the inner surfaces and outersurfaces of the wet suit elements hung on the wet suit valet.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

A wet suit valet having a fixed or collapsible base member and a fixedor collapsible vertical post member extending upwardly from the basemember, the vertical post member when extended having a plurality ofapertures for the receipt of a plurality of outwardly extending armsoriented to support the elements of a surfer or diver's wet suit in anexpanded orientation to expedite the drying thereof. The vertical postand arm can be of tubular form with perforations in the tubular walls toall for hot air to be introduced into the structure to circulate aboutand within the wet suit.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent,particularly when taken in light of the following illustrations wherein:

FIG. 1 is a front planar view of one version of a diver's wet suit;

FIG. 1A is a front planar view of another version of a diver's wetsuit;

FIG. 1B is a front planar view of a surfer's wetsuit;

FIG. 2 is a planar front view of the wet suit valet;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the wet suit valet;

FIG. 4 is a front planar view of the valet illustrating one possiblearrangement of the wet suit articles positioned thereon;

FIG. 5 is a front planar view of a second embodiment of the wet suitvalet; and

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a third embodiment of the wet suitvalet.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

FIGS. 1, 1A, and 1B are planar front views of a surfer or diver's wetsuits. The surfer or diver may wear all of the elements of the wet suitor depending on conditions, wear selective components of the wet suit.

The wet suit 10 includes a torso portion 12 which covers the arms andupper torso of the surfer or diver and a leg portion 14 which covers thewaist and legs of the diver. Additionally, depending upon conditions,the surfer or diver may wear a pair of neoprene boots 16, neoprenegloves 18, and a balaclava-like head portion 20 which covers the headand neck of the surfer or diver. In some instances, the torso portionand the leg portion 12 and 14 are separate elements and in somecircumstances, they are formed as a one piece element, in eitherinstance the torso portion is formed with a zipper 22 up the front. Theelements when taken as a whole, protect the surfer or diver from thecold temperatures of the water while either surfing or diving.

Since the elements of the wet suit are made of rubber-like material orneoprene, they absorb water when used and it is necessary to dry the wetsuit between uses in order that the surfer or diver does not becomeimmediately chilled upon putting on the wet suit. The wet suit valetserves for this purpose.

FIG. 2 is a planar front view of one embodiment of a wet suit valet 30and FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the wet suit valet 30. The wet suitvalet 30 consists of a base member 32 which engages a substrate such asa floor, deck, shower stall, bathtub, or the like. Extending upwardlyfrom the base member, is a substantially vertical support member 34which has a plurality of angularly outwardly extending arms 36.

Formed at the top end 38 of support member 34 is a cross member 40 whichpreferably is disposed in a plane offset from the vertical supportmember 34. In this configuration, the various elements of the wet suit10 may be hung for drying (See FIG. 4). One pair of outwardly extendingangular arms 36 could be utilized for supporting the boots 16 of the wetsuit by sliding the ankle portion of the boots 16 over the angularlyoutwardly extending arms 36. Another pair of the angularly outwardlyextending arms 36 could be utilized for supporting the gloves 18 of thewet suit by sliding the interior of the gloves over the arms 36. Crossmember 40 could be utilized for hanging the torso portion 12 of the wetsuit for drying. If the torso and leg portion 12 and 14 of the wet suitwere of one piece construction, then the shoulder portion could beextended over the cross member 40 and the wet suit could hang downwardlythere from in one piece. If the torso portion 12 of the wet suit and theleg portion 14 of the wet suit were of two piece construction, then eachportion could be hung from an opposing end of cross member 40 fordrying. The balaclava-like head portion 20 of the wet suit could bepositioned on the upper end 38 of vertical support member 34 for dryingif it was a separate element of the wet suit.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3, the surfer or divercould position the wet suit valet in a bathroom, in a bathtub, in acellar or on an open deck or other suitable location in order to dry thewet suit.

The embodiment of the wet suit valet illustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3 couldbe of integral fixed construction or could be designed such that thevarious elements of the wet suit valet, i.e. arms, cross member, basemember and vertical support member, could be disengaged and dismantledfor storage when not in use.

FIG. 5 is a front planar uiview of a second embodiment of the wet suitvalet 30A. In this embodiment, the wet suit valet 30A is constructed oftubular members, preferably plastic, and is essentially of the samedesign as the wet suit valet disclosed in the first embodiment asillustrated in FIGS. 2 and 3. In this second embodiment, the tubularmembers are interconnected such that they provide for a tubularpassageway for the introduction of air to augment the drying process.Vertical tubular support member 34A has positioned proximate its lowerend, and proximate the base member 32A, an inlet conduit 33A whose innerdimension allows for optional air delivery device 31A. Angular arms 36Aand cross member 40A are of tubular construction and their throughboresare in communication with the throughbore in support member 34A. Theends of arms 36A and cross members 40A and support member 34A are open.In this embodiment, the various elements of the wet suit are positionedas described with respect to FIGS. 1, 2, 3, and 4. A hair dryer 31A incommunication with an electrical outlet is then positioned with its noseor outlet portion inserted into inlet 33A and turned on. In thisconfiguration, the hair dryer forces hot air into tubular support member34A and upwardly and outwardly on angular outwardly extending arms 36Ain order to force hot air into the interior of the boots and gloves. Thehot air is also forced upwardly and into cross member 40A and out theopposing ends of cross member 40A in order to force hot air into theupper torso portion 12 of the wet suit 10 and upper end 38A into thehead portion 20A. The terminal ends of support member 34A, angular arms36A and cross member 40A may also include apertures or perforations 41Ato facilitate the drying process. In this configuration, the hot airforced into the tubular passageways of the wet suit valet enhances thedrying process and decreases the time for drying. The embodiment asillustrated in FIG. 5 could be constructed of PVC or ABS type pipe of asuitable diameter.

FIG. 6 illustrates a third embodiment of the wet suit valet specificallydesigned for traveling. Surfers and divers oftentimes vacation atlocations which offer facilities for them to pursue their avocations. Insuch instances, the surfer or diver will not take the surfboard ordiving gear with them, but rather rent them at the location. However,since the wet suit used in surfing or diving is dimensioned to theparticular surfer or diver, he will in all likelihood take his own wetsuit to the vacation location. The embodiment illustrated in FIG. 6 is awet suit valet 30B which is easily foldable and stored, yet easilyerected so as to allow the surfer or diver to take the wet suit valet30B with him on his vacation. In this configuration, the variouselements of a wet suit valet 30B are configured as collapsible elements.Vertical support member 34B would be comprised of several separatesections having a bungee-like cord 35B extending there between withinthe sections. If each section is pulled apart from its adjacent section,the vertical tubular support member can be collapsed into a series ofelements with a bungee cord extending there between for storage. Bypulling the elements apart aligning them and allowing the bungee cord tocompress in a bias mode, the various elements can be formed together toform a vertical support member 34B. The vertical support member 34B thusdescribed would be formed with various apertures 37B along its length inorder that the various angularly outwardly extending arms 36B and crossmember 40B could be inserted therein. The bottom end of vertical supportmember 34B would have apertures 39B such that a plurality ofhorizontally oriented arms 32B could be inserted thereby forming a base.In this configuration, the wet suit valet could be constructed ofvarious elements, each of which would have a length of approximately 12inches. The longer elements could be secured together by the bungee cordelement extending there between and the sorter elements such as theoutwardly extending arms 36B would merely be frictionally engaged withinthe apertures preformed in elements of the vertical support member. Inthis configuration, a surfer or diver could pack a wet suit valet in hisluggage for travel without taking up substantial room, yet be able toassemble the wet suit valet without tools in his hotel room or vacationpremises in order to allow for the enhanced drying of the wet suitbetween uses. The wet suit valet of embodiment 3 could also be formedwith a flexible loop 41B at the upper end of support member 34B to allowwet suit valet 30B to be hung from a shower nozzle in a bathtub. In allthree embodiments of the wet suit valet, it is the purpose and desire toexpose as much surface area as possible of the wet suit elements to theambient air to enhance and accelerate the drying process. The travelversion will be designed to accommodate a standard hotel hair dryer tocirculate air within the unit.

While the present invention has been described with respect to theexemplary embodiments thereof, it will be recognized by those ofordinary skill in the art that many modifications or changes can beachieved without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.Therefore it is manifestly intended that the invention be limited onlyby the scope of the claims and the equivalence thereof.

1. A wetsuit valet support for facilitating the drying of a wetsuitafter use, the wetsuit valet support comprising: a base member incommunication with a substrate; a central support member having a lowerend secured to said base member and extending vertically upwardly therefrom terminating in an upper end; said upper end of said support armdesigned for support of a wetsuit balaclava for drying; a T-shaped armmember positioned proximate said upper end of said support pole, a legof said T-shaped arm in communication with said support pole, theextending arms of said T-shaped member designed to engage an innershoulder and upper arm portion of a wetsuit; a first pair of angled armmembers secured to said support pole between said T-shaped arm memberand said base member and angled upwardly on opposing sides of saidsupport pole, said first pair of angled arm members for support of apair of wetsuit gloves for drying; a second pair of angled arm memberspositioned between said first set of angled arm members and said basemember, said second set of angled arm members angled upwardly onopposing sides of said support pole for the support and drying of a pairof wetsuit boots.
 2. The wetsuit valet support in accordance with claim1 wherein said base, said central support member, and said T-shaped armmembers and first and second pair of angled arm members of said wetsuitvalet are fixedly secured.
 3. The wetsuit valet support in accordancewith claim 2 wherein said base member, central support member and saidT-shaped arm members and said first and second angled arm members ofsaid wetsuit valet are removably secured for storage.
 4. The wetsuitvalet support in accordance with claim 1 wherein said base member ofsaid wetsuit valet is of such size and dimension so as to fit in ashower stall or in a bathtub to facilitate drainage.
 5. The wetsuitvalet support in accordance with claim 1 wherein said central supportmember, said T-shaped arm members and said first and second angled armmembers are constructed of hollow tubes and said vertical support postsfurther includes an aperture proximate said base member, said aperturesized for frictionally engaging a nose of a hairdryer so as to impart aflow of hot air up said central support member and outwardly on saidT-shaped support member and first and second pair of angled arm membersso as to provide hot air to the interior surfaces of said wetsuit, saidgloves, said boots, and said balaclava, thereby facilitating the dryingthereof.
 6. The wetsuit vale support in accordance with claim 5 whereinsaid T-shaped arm member and said first and second angled arm membersare formed with a plurality of circumferential apertures to facilitatethe drying process.
 7. The wetsuit valet support in accordance withclaim 1 wherein said central support member of said wetsuit valet issegmented, each of said segments is secured to an adjacent segment bymeans of an internal bungee cord allowing said central support member tobe collapsed for storage or for travel, said upper segment of saidcentral support member having a loop means secured thereto for hangingsaid central support member from a shower head, said upper segmenthaving opposing apertures for receipt of support arms for said wetsuit,said lower segments having apertures for receipt of said angled armmembers for positioning said wetsuit boots and said wetsuit gloves, saidlower segment having a plurality of apertures for receipt of radiallyextending base members, said segmented wetsuit valet easilyaccommodatable in travel bags and easily erectable in a shower stall ora bath tub of a temporary residence, such as a hotel, motel or the like.